Collapsible box.



J. A. SMITH.

COLLAPSIBLE BOX.

APPLICATION man APR. 45. 1914.

M1 1 Patented Apr. 20, 1915.

THE NORRIS PETERS Co.. PHOTO-LITHQ. WASHINGTON, D c.

j tilt JAMES A. SMITH, OF FATE, TEXAS.

COLLAPSIBLE BOX.

aldive.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. 20, 1915.

Application filed April 15, 1914. Serial No. 832,037.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, JAMES A.v SMITH, a citizen of the United States, residing at Fate, in the county of Rockwall and State of Texas, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Collapsible Boxes, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to new and useful improvements in boxes and resides in the provision of an extremely useful and inexpensive box that is particularly designed for shipping and storing eggs, fruits, and other fragile goods, and may be readily folded when not in use so as to take up little room.

An important object of my invention is to provide a collapsible box. of the character described which consists of hinged side and end walls and removable bottom and partition walls serving to hold the side and end Walls in extended and operative position.

Another important object of my invention is to provide novel means for hingedly securing the side and end walls to each other, said means being simple as to construction and not liable to accidental derangement.

Another object of importance is to provide a collapsible box of the character described that is simple as to construction, reliable and eflicient in operation and inexpensive to manufacture.

The above and additional objects are accomplished by such means as are illustrated in the accompanying'drawings, described in the following specification and then more particularly pointed outras claimed.

With reference to the drawings, wherein I have illustrated the preferred embodiment of my invention as it is reduced to practice, and throughout the several views of which similar reference numerals designate corresponding parts, Figure 1 is a side elevation of my improved box, Fig. 2 is a transverse sectional view taken on line 2-2 of Fig. 1, Fig. 3 is a side elevation of the box frame as it would appear when in folded position, Fig. 4 is a top plan view of the partition wall, and Fig. 5 is a detail View showing one of the hinges which I employ.

Referring to the drawings by characters of reference, the numeral 1 designates as an entirety a box frame which consists of side walls 2 and 3 and end walls 4. A bottom wall 5 is designed to coiiperate with the end and side walls and a lid or cover 6 is provided to rest upon the upper edges of the side and end walls. A horizontal partition wall 7 is arranged within the box and supported upon transverse supporting strips 8 that are secured by suitable fastening means upon the inner faces of the end walls. It is to be understood that any number of these partition walls 7 may be provided. The end walls 4 and side walls 2 and 3 comprising the box. frame 1 are hingedly connected with each other. Openings 9 are formed adjacent the corners of the side walls 2.and 3 and are arranged to cooperate with openings 10 formed adjacent the corners of the end walls 4. At each end of the side walls, a vertical, preferably stiff wire 11 is secured. The wires 11 adjacent their ends are bent over the upper and lower edges of the side walls and inserted through the openings 9 from the inside of the walls and then bent to lie fiat against the outer faces of the.

side walls as at 12 adjacent the openings 9 therein. It will be seen that the wires 11 are secured so as to be positioned in front of the openings 9. To hingedly secure theend walls 4 to the side walls I provide suitable wire strips 13 that are inserted through the openings 10 and have their free ends extending through the openings 9. The free ends of the strips 13 are twisted as at 14 so as to surround the wires 11. It will be readily seen that the strips 13 in being arranged as described provide for the hinging of the side walls 2 and 3 with the end walls 4 thus enabling the collapsing of the box frame 1 so that the frame will assume the position as shown in Fig. 3. The end walls are provided with longitudinal reinforcing strips 15 secured upon the inner faces of the end walls adjacent the end edges thereof. .The strips 13 surround the reinforcing strips 15. Secured upon the lower edges of the end walls 4 are transverse supporting strips 16 that are mounted upon the inner faces of the end walls and engage the end edges of the bottom wall 5 so as to support the same.

In assembling the box, the bottom wall is put into place from the top of the box frame so as to rest upon the supporting strips 16 and the partition wall 7 is then in the same manner placed within the frame so as to rest upon the supporting strips 8. The lid 6 may be secured in any suitable manner upon the top edges of the side and end walls. The partition and bottom walls serve to hold the receptacle rigidly in open positionand it is only necessary to remove the partition and bottom walls to facilitate ings the lid, partition and bottom walls may be laid flat upon the folded frame and secured thereto in any suitable manner not shown.

'It will be readily seen with reference to the foregoing description and accompanying drawings tha'tI have provided a simple and inexpensive box that is particularly desirous for shipping eggs, fruit and thefllike,

may be readily folded so as to take up little room when not in use, is simple as to construction and cheap to manufacture.

In practice, I have found that the form of my invention, illustrated in the drawings and referred to in the above description, as the preferred embodiment, is the most eifieient and practical; yet realizing that the conditions concurrent with the adoption of my device will necessarily vary, I desire to emphasize the fact that various minor changes in'details of construction, proportion and arrangement of parts maybe resorted to, when required, without sacrificing I anyof the advantages of myinvention, as

set forth. I

7 What is claimed is 1. A collapsiblebox comprising side walls,

end walls hingedly connected with the side walls, said end and side walls having openings formed adjacent the corners thereof, wiresfmouuted upon the outer faces of the side walls and extending in front of said openings therein, and wires inserted through the'openings in the end walls and having their ends twisted so as to surround the first named wires. r

2. A collapsible box comprising side walls,

7 end walls hingedly connected with the side walls, said end and side walls having openings formed adjacent the corners thereof, wires'mounted'upon the outer faces of the side walls and extending in front of said openings therein, wires inserted through the openings in the end walls and having their ends twisted so as to surround the first named wires and a removable bottom wall mounted within the side and end walls, a partition wall, and means to support the bottom and partition walls carried by the end walls.

3. A collapsible box comprising side Walls, end walls hingedly connected with the side walls, said end and side walls having openings formed therethrough adjacent the corners thereof, wires mounted upon the outer faces of the side walls at the ends thereof and extending in front of the openings therein, wire loops mounted within the openings in the end walls and extending into the side wall openings and surrounding said wires, vertical strips secured at the end edges of the end walls upon the inner faces thereof, said loops surrounding said strips, a bottom wall, and a lid.

4. A collapsible box comprising side walls, end walls hingedly connected with the side walls, said end and side walls having openings formed therethrough adjacent the corners thereof, wires mounted upon the outer faces of the side walls at the ends thereof and extending in front of the openings therein, wire loops mounted within the openings in' the end walls and extending into the side wall openings and surrounding said wires, vertical strips secured at the end edges of the end walls upon the inner faces thereof, said loops surrounding said strips, a removable bottom wall, transverse strips secured upon the inner face of each end wall, certain of said strips supporting said bottom wall and a horizontal partition wall mounted upon the other of said strips.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

JAMES A. sMrrn.

Witnesses:

W. M. WILLIAMS, J. M. HoLrcoMn.

G'opies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D.- C. 

